Political pot-shots over Indigenous recognition in the constitution

ELEANOR HALL: As we've been hearing, Indigenous leaders want the Prime Minister to recognise them in the body of the constitution.

Before he left Darwin, Mr Rudd sought to pressure the Opposition Leader on the issue, saying he wants a referendum held during the next term of government, and that Tony Abbott is going slow on it.

But Mr Abbott says the Prime Minister is trying to politicise an issue that already has strong bi-partisan support.

Chief political correspondent, Sabra Lane, has the latest.

SABRA LANE: In February this year, the Indigenous Recognition Act passed Parliament with the former Prime Minister Julia Gillard and the Opposition Leader agreeing it was an important moment in the nation's history.

JULIA GILLARD: No gesture speaks more deeply to the healing of our nation's fabric than amending our nation's founding charter. So I commend this bill to the House as a deed of reconciliation in its own right. And as a sign of good faith for the referendum to come.

TONY ABBOTT: We shouldn't feel guilty about our past but we should be determined to rise above that which now makes us embarrassed.

SABRA LANE: The passing of the bill put in train a process to achieve constitutional recognition, by slowly building community support, with the aim of achieving a referendum within two years of the act being passed.

A parliamentary committee, together with the group Recognise, has been consulting groups around the nation to build consensus, and talk with people about what the amendment should actually say.

Warren Snowdon, the Minister for Indigenous Health, believes today's 50th anniversary marking the Yirrkala bark petitions will actually help with the process of constitutional recognition.

WARREN SNOWDON: That should happen. It's way overdue. And what we're doing here is I think by having the ceremony we're having here today and the celebration which will happen as a direct result is reminding us all about this story and about the fact that the journey has not finished.

The journey has a long way to go. And part of that journey will be recognition of the Australian constitution.

SABRA LANE: Mr Snowden was speaking on Sky. But it seems Kevin Rudd, the Prime Minister who delivered the apology to Indigenous Australians, is impatient with the two year process.

KEVIN RUDD: I want this done in the next term of the Australian Parliament. That's what I really want to see. And I really want to achieve that bipartisan consensus as rapidly as possible.

SABRA LANE: And during an interview with ABC Radio in Darwin, he sought to pressure Tony Abbott over the referendum.

KEVIN RUDD: The work is under way. A committee has reported, it's now being deliberated on by the parliamentary committee. As I said, the key thing is to make sure we achieve consensus. And so, and these are questions I dare say which are appropriately addressed to Captain Negative - Mr Abbott - more generally and that is whether he's prepared to be positive in bringing forward a rapid conclusion to the content of the question.

SABRA LANE: But Mr Abbott says, on the contrary, he has a plan that goes further than the Government's stated position. A plan he outlined in March this year.

TONY ABBOTT: Well we've said that within 12 months of a change of government we would put forward a draft proposed change and we would establish a bipartisan process to assess the likelihood of the change succeeding. I strongly support appropriate acknowledgement of Aboriginal people in our constitution. I think this could be a defining, unifying moment for our country and I want it to go ahead.

KEVIN RUDD: Constitutional recognition of Indigenous people has been our policy from the beginning. I find it always surprising when someone like Mr Abbott, who permanently engages in negative politics, begins to provide public lectures to the Australian Government on the question of Indigenous policy.

I would say to Mr Abbott, in the parliamentary committee which is now seeking to resolve the question to put the Australian people, get your act together. Tell us what you actually want, in detail, black and white. Let's get it done. The Australian people are waiting for this. Aboriginal people are waiting for this. But frankly the ball lies in his court. It really does.

TONY ABBOTT: Look I don't want to politicise this, I really don't. And I'm surprised that Mr Rudd is trying to do that. Let's face it, the Government has been sitting on its hands here. The Government was very slow bringing this thing forward. I think rightly, given the fact that they've been so slow, they've decided to put the whole question on ice.

But the last thing we should be doing now is trying to politicise it and I suggest to Mr Rudd that, if he wants a more positive polity, the last thing he should be doing is trying to politicise the vital question of Indigenous constitutional recognition on which, in principle, everyone is agreed.

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